The first bicycle, probably created by the German Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun in the early 1800s, was a form of hobby-horse that was propelled by the rider's feet pushing against the ground. The first treadle-propelled cycle was designed by the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan around 1839. By the end of the 19th century, bicycles had wire wheels, metal frames, and pneumatic tires. What did 19th-century suffragists and feminists call the bicycle?More...

Nearly 90 million people watched Super Bowl XXXVIII, and approximately 540,000 of them filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission after Justin Timberlake exposed fellow singer Janet Jackson's breast during the game's halftime show. The incident led to legal action, heavy fines, and a crackdown on aspects of US broadcasting considered indecent. Shortly after the "wardrobe malfunction," a streaker darted onto the field in an unrelated stunt. What happened to him?More...

In 1482, 20-year-old scholar Johannes Trithemius was traveling home from university when a snowstorm forced him to take refuge in the Benedictine abbey at Sponheim, Germany. He decided to stay and was soon elected abbot, whereupon he began transforming the abbey into a place of serious study. Allegations of occultism in his writings led to his resignation, but some of those volumes that were once assumed to be about magic have since been deciphered and are now known to deal with what subject?More...

Quotation of the Day

It is the nature of the artist to mind excessively what is said about him. Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others.

National Freedom Day commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States. On that date in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, making slavery illegal. The purpose of the day is to celebrate the freedom from slavery for all people and to acknowledge the importance of freedom and harmony in American society. Freedom Day is not a federal holiday, and a strong drive is underway to adopt June 19, or Juneteenth, as it is known, as the American holiday to celebrate the end of slavery. More...

Interest in American football is surging in Russia, China, and elsewhere, according to a recent study by a German sports marketing research firm. In just the last few years, the National Football League has gained tens of millions of new fans in the Russian and Chinese markets, in addition to rising enthusiasm in the UK. The game-changer for adding converts to the "other" football appears to be increased access to subscription packages, which allow fans to watch live games from their homes—even if they're on other continents.More...

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